Orthodoxy

noun

/ˈɔːrθədɒksi/

Strict adherence to established, traditional, and accepted beliefs or practices, especially in religion.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Successive governments clung to the fiscal orthodoxy of deficit reduction even as a contracting economy demanded counter-cyclical public investment, illustrating how an unexamined consensus can outlive its usefulness.

Synonyms

conventionalityconformitytraditionalismconservatismdogmareceived wisdom

Antonyms

heterodoxyheresyunorthodoxynonconformity

🌱 Word Family

orthodox (adj), orthodoxly (adv), unorthodox (adj), heterodoxy (n), heterodox (adj)

🔡 Root

Greek orthos = correct, right; doxa = opinion, belief; via French orthodoxie and Late Latin orthodoxia

📜 Etymology

From Ancient Greek orthodoxia (ὀρθοδοξία), combining orthos (ὀρθός, "correct, right") + doxa (δόξα, "opinion, belief"); entered English in the 1620s via French orthodoxie and Late Latin orthodoxia.

🧠 Memory Hook

ORTHO ("correct", as in orthopaedic = correcting bones) + DOXY (from doxa, "opinion") = holding the "correct opinion." Think of an orthodontist straightening teeth into the "right" alignment, just as orthodoxy keeps beliefs in officially approved alignment.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Social & Religious Reform Movements

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